Same Old Mall, New Old Friends
by XxPhoenix FlightxX
Summary: This is just a one-shot for now. Placed about 7 to 10 years in the furture. Starring my favorite pairing in PnF, Ferb/Vanessa! This may have been done before, I wouldn't know. Please read and review!


**So, this has been sitting around in my files for a while, waiting to be edited and posted. I am posting it now because, guess what? My beta's not working! I worked everything out yesterday, and set it to "active", and even met the requirement of having 6000 words, but it won't show up on my profile! Does anyone know how to fix this? Anyway, I'm hoping that posting this fifth story on top of already having 6000+ words will get it to show up. So, I've always loved seeing Ferb and Vanessa together, despite the age difference. So this fic is set sometime in the future, where age doesn't matter. Yes, Phineas and Ferb are still up to their old tricks, and still building things. And, as you will see, Ferb is now taller than Vanessa (he was already a rather tall ten-year-old.). I've never actually looked in the P and F archive, so I hope this hasn't been done before.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb, or anything associated with them.**

He walked through Superduper Mega Superstore without a worry. It was summer afternoon, Wednesday, as a matter of fact, and there was almost no one here. He wasn't sure why it was so deserted, but he took the advantage to look over the blue-prints one more time as he made his way to the store where he could find the parts he needed. This would be one of his and his brother's biggest events, and that was surely saying something.

He checked off a mental list as he glanced over the plans, just to make sure he knew what he needed. They needed a new wood-metal fuser, the old one broke long ago when it fused itself to a tree. Also another blowtorch, a giant floating baby head, and while he was at it, some more steel-plated screws. Satisfied, he skillfully folded the papers to minuscule size and began to fit them into his pocket, rounding the final corner.

As he wasn't looking, he failed to notice that he wasn't the only one turning said corner. The two collided, causing the other- a girl -to emit a small 'oof'. They stayed upright for a moment, long enough to look at each other, almost as if in slow motion. But as fate would have it, this only lasted a moment, before their feet became tangled and they lost balance, falling over, him on top. Luckily, he caught himself, with both of his hands on the ground at either side of her, so he didn't totally squish her under his weight.

There was a split second of confusion before realization of their position hit him and he scrambled off of her, pulling her to her feet after him.

"I am SO terribly sorry, do forgive me, I wasn't looking where I was going," he apologized quickly, in a British accent, a pink flush staining his cheeks.

"Oh, no, don't worry about it, no hard feelings," she said with a small smile of a forgiving nature. Vanessa got her first good look at this familiar boy, and suddenly realized who he was.

"Hey wait a minute," she said, grabbing on to his wrist as he turned to leave. "Don't I know you? Ferb?"

He looked at her, blinked, and seemed to recognize her for the first time. "Vanessa?"

They both laughed softly at this realization, and thought back to some of the last times they'd seen each other. In Paris, at the top of the Eiffel tower, and the time before that, when they'd been in this very mall, searching crazily for the last of the Pizzazium Infinionite. It was a warming sense of nostalgia for both of them, seeing an old friend again.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" said Vanessa.

"Yes, yes it has."

"So, what have you been doing all this time?"

"Perhaps we should go have lunch, and take the time to get caught up?" Ferb suggested hopefully. "If you're not too busy..."

"Yeah. I'd like that"

She looped her arm through his, causing him to blush slightly again, and they walked to the food court together. 

*(PnF)*

"And that's why I've always liked peanut butter so much," Ferb finished with a flourish, taking another bite of his club sandwich.

"That's awesome," Vanessa giggled. Before now, she didn't even know she _could_ giggle. But with Ferb, even the most impossible things happened, every single day. It felt good to laugh, and be with him.

"So is peanut butter your favorite thing?" she asked.

"Close," he answered mysteriously. "But no."

"Then what is?" She cocked her head in a curious way that made his heart do flip flops.

He opened his mouth to answer, closed it again, and then opened it once more. "I'll tell you another time."

"What? No, why not now?" Vanessa said, with a bit of a teasing tone.

"Later," he promised with a smile.

"Can I ask you something else, then?" she responded.

"You just did," he replied cheekily. "But you're welcome to ask something else."

"Well, you never told me," she hesitated. "What is Ferb short for?"

It was Ferb's turn to hesitate. Not even Candace knew. And he'd only told Phineas about a year ago. Yet, this girl, this woman, before him, was different. To his surprise, he found that he _wanted_ to tell her. He leaned forward, crooking a finger for her to do the same. He tilted his mouth by her ear, catching a whiff of her cherry scented hair. He took a deep, calming breath to regain his focus, and whispered it to her.

They pulled apart, the girl smiling and the boy blushing shyly for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon.

"I really don't like it, so it would be nice if you didn't tell anybody," he said.

"I like it," she replied, "but if that's what you want, then your secret's safe with me." They smiled at each other, enjoying the company. The moment didn't last however, because Ferb's phone suddenly went off. He gave her an apologetic look as he answered it.

"Hello? ...Phineas? No, I don't know what time-" Ferb looked at his watch as he spoke "Oh my, so sorry, the time just ran away from me. I was a bit distracted…" he looked up at Vanessa as he said this. "...Yes, I'll be on my way, bye." He hung up with a sigh.

"Gotta go, huh?" she asked, trying to mask her disappointment.

"Yeah," he said, standing up.

She stood with him. "I'll walk out with you. I should probably get going anyways."

He didn't object, and they walked to the door together. On the sly, she put her hand in his. It shocked him at first, but he wasn't about to complain. They got out to the parking lot and had to part ways.

"Well, bye Ferb," she said with a little wave, turning to leave.

"Hey, wait," he reached out and grabbed her wrist to make her stay. He gently held her hand in both of his. "I never told you…what my favorite thing was."

"What is it?" she asked, looking into his eyes.

"You," he answered after a moment of silence. She stepped towards him, and stretched up onto her toes, brushing her lips against his. Then she turned once more, and walked away, calling over her shoulder.

"Bye Ferb, I'll see you later." And she meant it.

**She's only five years older than him, at the most people! It's not that big of a gap! I'm going to have people ask me to continue this, aren't I? Well, maybe someday, but now I can't. I'm busy working on another story in another archive. If you like Teen Titans, go check it out! Someday I'll come back to this, but for now, enjoy it as a one-shot. On a side note, what's with my vocabulary in this? I blame Ferb, he influenced me. Reviews would be lovely!**


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